DESPITE the ever changing weather, ranging from bright sunshine to heavy rain, the crowd’s appetite for action was never dampened.

Boasting a full day of entertainment, with no less than 12 different races, the BTCC made sure that race fans went home happy.

The support race package consisted of a mixture of tin-top and open wheel racing, from single-seaters in the Formula BMW UK Championship to Renault Clios, all of which guaranteed that the crowd stayed glued to their seats.

The beauty of the BTCC is that the cars raced on the circuit are almost identical to those seen on public roads throughout the UK, albeit the on-track cars are high-performance versions, and this is what still draws the huge crowds – despite the final race being shown live on ITV1.

In Saturday qualifying, Matt Neal took pole position in his Team Halfords Honda Integra, edging out team-mate Dan Eaves. Yvan Muller and Gavin Smith claimed row two in their new Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatches.

In the opening race, Neal led the field with a faultless display, something Eaves failed to emulate as he crashed out in the early laps. Colin Turkington (Vauxhall) and Muller claimed second and third, with the result dictating the grid for race two.

Again, in race two, Neal made the better start to claim his second victory of the day, extending his lead in the championship over Eaves who finished third (having started from the back of the grid) behind SEAT driver Jason Plato.

The final race of the day saw the grid reversed, gifting Kent-based team HPI Racing their first pole, with driver Ian Curley sitting at the front of the field.

The Tenterden-based team have had a troubled start to their season with Marden resident Curley and his team mate, Richard Williams from Tunbridge Wells, yet to make any impact.

The SEAT of James Pickford took the early running after Curley spun out at the first bend following contact with Eaves.

Pickford was soon overtaken by Muller who lead to the flag, with Eaves second and Plato third.

Neal finished sixth to give him an overall seven-point lead in the championship.

The BTCC returns to Kent on October 2.